Folly

Vizcaya - the barge folly. 

1920s Miami channeling Venice. 

Love the madness of that. 

They would row the 10m from shore to this barge and have cocktails and watch the sunset. 

Gatsby, you missed a trick old boy.

Hot mermaid angst thrown in for good measure. 

Grotto angst in the secret garden. 

Reptilian meets Leda angst.  

Vizcaya

Vizcaya house and gardens - built in 1916 by James Deering as a winter home to entertain guests, mixing European styles with an emerging Miami aesthetic and sensibility. 

"The house was intended to appear as an Italian estate that had stood for 400 years and had been occupied and renovated by several generations of a family.  It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects."

Leda and that dastardly swan.

We know what you're up to Zeus. 

The beginning of hot grotto action.

I think the frog is supposed to be an emerging Miami aesthetic. 

There's a lizard underneath this guy too. 

 More non-Hipstamatic photos to come. 

Hotty cakes

Close to home. The MacCarthur Causeway. 

The drive to work (except not at sunset).

That would be my building. The wavy one on the middle-right.

As seen from Star Island.

Francais much?

So French right now. 

So yes, I can make croissants - and pain au chocolats. 

Bring it.

In fairness, you think quiche ain't all that. 

This was FINE. 

Made me a quiche convert. Seriously.

That's mine closest to frame - big, bold, full of cheese and cayenne. Hell yeah. 

Plus this cake - OMG...

There are good things and then there is this. 

Art to Obey

Last weekend I went to the Wynwood Art Walk for a friend's gallery opening. 

Amazing. A street party meets arts festival. 

Here's the Shepard Fairey wall - Obey boy - as per my print. 

Then check out this guy - who came, did this and left. 

Apparently he's pretty famous for this stuff he does. Need to find out his name. 

Very cool vibe. 

Think he might be Ellis G.

Finally, this is the wall of my friend's gallery. 

Miami - the new Soho. 

Loving it. 

Petit d'yum yum

 The old Christmas profiterole disaster of 2009. 

Everyone remembers it. 

Eesh.

Cue the "French Pastry" course. Saturday morning even. 

The decoration isn't quite as it could be but I had other kids to deal with so you  know. 

So, we did shortcrust tarts, eclairs / profiteroles and baguettes. 

And at least half the class was in Spanish. So let's call it two classes in one. 

Next Saturday: croissants and pain au chocolat. Oh yes, you want me in your house 'of a Sunday morning' that's for sure. 

"This ain't Seaworld, this is real world!"

All taken from my balcony. 

Who wants to come and play? 

Keen to recreate T-Pain's "I'm on a boat" (aka ft. TC). Who's with me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8F3UE9qFsg

"I'm ridin' on a dolphin. This ain't Seaworld, this is real world..."

Plus T-Pain has become my accepted nickname in the agency so it does kinda work...

I can guarantee sunshine and some time out on the turquoise waters.

Plus the Wrangler, which I apparently look "bad ass" in, is ready for a road trip to the Keys.


"Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go..."

First guest gets a round of mojitos on me. 

One. Home made though. And you get this view. 

Plus we could always take off to the Bahamas.

A lot of good work

I do a lot of good work for charity. 

This was the Big Brothers Big Sisters Gala dinner. 

Miami knows how to party and fundraise. 

When a 15 year old girl sang "Firework" our table setting went off...

How cool is that.

Plus girls dancing in water behind the bar. Too freakin' cool.

Katy Perry ain't got nothing on this girl. Seriously - chills. 

Rainbows

Beedle, thanks for coming to play gorgeous Rainbow. 

I love you xxx

Key Biscayne lighthouse.

Deco-tastic on the Beach.